Playing With Fire
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: Written as a Birthday present for my Mom. Michael's new client has a big job for him...and he doesn't dare let her down.
1. Chapter 1

Playing with Fire 1

Michael Weston stared at the facility through his binoculars. "Hmm...looks like the walls are at least three feet thick..."

"Five feet," Fiona speaks up. "And they've got sentries on every possible approach. Are you sure this is supposed to be an ORDINARY crime ring we're breaking up for your FBI friends, Sam?"

"Hey, that's what I got told. It's hardly my fault if the information was faulty," Sam complained. "Now come on, what they said they would do for you if you cleared this up has to make up for this."

"Of course, Sam," Michael said sarcastically. "A promise of assistance from the FBI is ALWAYS made good on." Suddenly, Michael's phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"SOmeone needs your help, Michael. Come over to my house."

"Mom, now's REALLY not a good time-"

"NOW, Michael." She hung up.

Michael stared at his phone. "It looks like we're going to have to pick this up later. It seems I have to stop by Mom's place."

Fiona picked up her bags. "We can't do anything here. I might as well tag along."

"I'll stay here and keep watch," Sam said, "let you know if anything happens."

"Thanks, Sam," Michael said blandly.

Michael opened the door to his Mom's house. "Mom, I'm here. Now what was so important-"

He stopped and stared. Sitting on the couch across from his Mom were three kids, none of them yet 10. The oldest girl had blonde hair in twin pigtails and blue eyes, and was wearing a white and pink outfit. The next youngest had read hair and was wearing what looked like superhero PJs with a T on the front. The youngest had a tuft of blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a blue onsie while sucking on a binky.

Michael looked at Madeline. "Mom, you said I had a client, not a babysitting gig."

The little girl looked up at Michael. "Bad men took our Mommy."

Michael paused. "Oh. Mom, start at the beginning please."

"Alright Michael. Sit down."

Michael sat down in a chair, while Fiona went to sit with the kids, putting the blonde boy in her lap.

Madeline was walking back from Bingo when she heard a child sniffling. Turning she saw three children sitting at a table, the girl comforting her brothers.

"It's okay," she was saying. "We'll find someone to help, and Mommy will be home safe and sound."

"B-but I miss Mommy!" the crying boy said.

Madeline went up to them. "What's wrong, kids? Where are your parents?"

The little girl looked up at Madeline. "Bad men took our Mommy. Daddy tried to stop them, but he got hurt and now he won't wake up."

"Well, have you called the police?"

"They said if we did, they'd kill Mommy. But we'll just find someone else to help, and that'll fix the bad men." She smiled with supreme confidence, but her eyes betrayed her worry.

"And after that, Michael," Madeline finished the story, "I brought them here and called you. You will be helping them, won't you, Michael?" The look in her eyes said quite clearly that - all intonation to the contrary - this was not a question.

Michael nodded. "I'll do what I can. So what are your names?" he asked the kids.

The girl looked up. "I'm Melvin Logan. THese are my brothers, Timmy and Teether."

Melvin, Timmy, and Teether Logan The Clients 


	2. Chapter 2

Playing WIth Fire 2

"Alright," Michael continued. "You mentioned they said if you called the cops, they'd hurt your Mom. What else did they tell you, and where is your Dad?"

"THey said they'd call Dad," Melvin said, pulling out a cell phone. "And Bobby had Dad, but we put him in the guest room."

"Bobby?"

"Bobby!" Melvin pointed out into the back yard at...apparently nothing. "He's too big to fit in the house."

"...right. Well, when they do call, put it on speaker so we can plan, okay?"

Melvin nodded. The phone rang, and Melvin looked at it. "It's Mommy!" She flipped it open on speakerphone. "Mommy, is that you?"

A scrambled voice came through. "If you ever want to see your mother again, you will do what we say. Wire $5,000,000 to the following account in-"

"But I don't have that much! I only have $50 in my piggy bank!"

"Don't play dumb. We know how much money your family is worth. We know about your accounts."

"But only Mommy and Daddy know the numbers to access them!"

"Then get your father to do it. WHy didn't he answer?"

"Because you hurt him when you took Mommy, and now he won't wake up."

There was silence for a while. "Then your mother will just have to give you the numbers, and you will get the money for us."

"Mommy won't go for that. She's stubborn."

"She will if she cares about your safety."

"I wouldn't threaten us to Mommy's face if I were you," Melvin said shaking her head.

"Oh? Why not?"

"Cause if you do, Mommy will make you pay. First, she'll rip out a length of your intestines to hang you from a thorn tree with while kicking you over the side of a cliff, and then-"

Melvin proceeded to describe more and more graphic and terrifying mutilations and other tortures her Mommy would inflict on anyone foolish enough to endanger her kids. Madeline looked somewhat pale. FIona's mouth was hanging open in shock at the perfect calm Melvin and her brothers exhibited while describing this. Michael stayed quiet, although he blanched at a few of them.

When Melvin finsihed, the voice spoke again. "You're exagerrating. You can't do all that to someone and keep them alive."

"Yeah, but Mommy wouldn't allow you to die until she was finished. Besides, there's more than one of you, isn't there?"

"...we will be in contact." The phone clicked as the signal was cut.

Melvin turned to Michael and the others. "You were wondering why I wasn't too freaked out by the bad men. They weren't all that scary." As adorable as it was, her grin managed to be evil. "Mommy's the scary one!"

"I want to meet your Mom," Fiona said, her voice awed.

Michael looked at Melvin. "Well, I can honestly say you have them terrified out of their wits in all likelihood."

Melvin frowned. "That's not good, is it?"

"No, scared criminals go for the quick exit. Clean up the mess, dispose of hostages and witnesses. If they are scared...they may kill your Mom."

Melvin started to tear up. Michael's phone rang. Turning, he answered. "Sam, now's not a good time-"

"Well, you'd better make it a good time! WHile you were gone, I managed to bug one of the guys going into the building. Turns out they've got a kidnapping going on, and it looks like they aren't getting paid the ransom! If we're gonna save the kidnapee, we need to hit this place now!"

"Wait, Sam, slow down. Tell it to me again."

"I don't exactly have time to slow down. Apparently they were negotiating with the woman's kids and things didn't work out. If they don't get the money out of the woman, they're gonna kill her!"

"Wait! That's where they're holding her? Sam, we're on our way." Michael hung up. "Melvin, my friend Sam has managed to locate your Mom, so we're going to go get her out."

"Michael, Sam was watching the other location," Fiona piped up. "Are you saying-"

"Yes, Fiona, we're going to need the big guns...and we're going in blind."

"Wait!" Melvin spoke up. "Take me with you!"

"No," Madeline spoke up. "It's too dangerous!"

Melvin pouted. "THen...then at least take Bobby! He can help!"

Michael frowned. "I'm not sure how much help your imaginary friend is going to be."

Melvin glowered and stomped her foot. "Bobby is real!"

Michael rubbed his forehead. "Tell you what, if he can keep up with our car, he can come along."

Melvin nodded. "Okay."

TImmy pulled on Fiona's pant leg. "The animals around here know Dad. They'll help, too."

Fiona smiled indulgently. "I'm sure they will, Timmy." She got up. "Let's go, Michael. We don't have much time, but I've got most of what we'll need in the trunk."

In a rush, they drove to Sam's location. 


	3. Chapter 3

Playing With Fire 3

Arriving on the scene, Michael looked up at the building. "So, Sam, what can you tell us now?"

"The woman's being held somewhere in the building, where I don't know. The only thing I do know is this is the entrance." Sam gestured to a rather large set of metal double doors. "That's the only way in. I managed to take some soundings. Te wall is a full five feet tck all around, and reinforced. is is the only possible entry point."

"We'll just have to take care of that, then," Fiona said, popping the trunk.

"So, Michael, how are we getting in to save the girl?" Sam asked.

"Fiona's way," Michael responded, catching the semi-automatic Fiona tossed him, as well as the other weaponry she had for him.

"Great," Sam said, catching the other weaponry. "Guns blazing. That always works so well."

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Fiona said, shouldering the rocket launcher. "It could be fun."

She took aim, and fired. The rocket blasted the doors off their hinges, and they charged in.

As alarms blared, they ran down a corridor and found themselves confronted by a few guards, which they took care of quickly and non-lethaly. As they passed several side passages that didn't go anywhere, they spotted strange markings on the walls, looking like a crimson, twisted S. There were also a few pentagrams drawn in blood.

"Great," Sam commented. "It seems we're dealing with Satanists as well."

Then they came to a series of winding corridors that seemed to twist and turn randomly. After a while, they stopped. "Michael," Fiona spoke up, "This is a maze. We'll never find our way through in time without help."

"We'll keep looking," Michael said fiercely. "I'm not letting Melvin and her brothers down."

"Caw!"

They turned to the sound. A raven was perched on a light bracket preening its feathers. When it saw they were looking at it, it cawed again and flittered to another light bracket down another corridor, and made a beckoning motion with its wings.

Sam blinked. "What's up with the bird?"

Fiona moved to follow. "Timmy said the animals would help, and we've got no better ideas."

Shrugging, Michael followed.

The raven flittered just ahead of them, from bracket to bracket, always staying in sight, plainly leading them. Eventually the came to a room in the center of the labyrinth, where they saw a young woman with black hair and blue eyes chained to a wall, chains at her wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, waist and throat, giving her just enough room to step a little away from the wall.

"Mrs. Logan?" Michael spoke out, as the raven landed on the woman's shoulder and began to preen her hair.

THe woman looked up, raising an eyebrow. "What took you so long?" she said blandly. "Get these chains off me, and get me out of here."

Fiona ran forward and began breaking the chains with carefully aimed bullets. "We'll deal with the manacles later," she said. "For now, we need to get you out of here."

"No problem," Mrs. Logan said. "The collar is trapped, anyway. If you open it without the key, it injects me with lethal poison."

"Who has the key?" Michael asked.

"The one in charge here," she responded. "And call me Rachel. I'm a little surprised Garfield's not here with you."

"I'm afraid your husband was injured when you were abducted, and he hasn't woken up since," Michael informed her.

The raven continued to preen her hair. Looking at it, Rachel nodded. "I see. Who's taking care of my kids?"

"My Mom," Michael said. "We'll get you to them right away."

Taking off, the raven proceeded to lead them out of the maze. As they reached the outside door, the raven suddenly made an about face and landed on Rachel's shoulder, cowering.

"Something tells me it's a trap," Sam said as they walked through the last door.

Using a labyrinth as a security system has its good and bad points. The down side is you and your people need some way of knowing the safe path, which infiltrators can get away from you. The up side, though...if you know where the exit is, more often than not you don't have to go looking for intruders. They'll come right to you.

Michael stared at the force arrayed in his path. Several vehicles were arrayed around with military grade hardware primed and ready. At least 50 heavily armed and well trained troops stood in a semi circle, weapons pointed right at them. Standing behind them was a man in a blood red robe, obviously the one in charge. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and to all intents and purposes, out of luck.

Rachel cursed. "I was afraid of this when I saw the writing on the walls."

"What?" Fiona asked.

"They work for my father."

"I thought they were Satanists," Sam asked, confused.

"Same difference," Rachel mumbled.

"Any last words?" the red robed man boomed out in a hollow voice.

Michael whispered to Fiona. "Whatever hapens next, I'm going to feel really stupid. But it's the only chance we got." Clearing his throat, he yelled three words.

"Get 'em, Bobby!"

Suddenly, one of the cars went flipping through the air over the troops, landing on another car in a fiery explosion. The troops turned their weapons towards where the car had been sitting, and were flattened by a light post that had somehow uprooted itself to be hurled at them.

The head honcho started to do something, but Sam had gotten there as soon as the unexplained events started and delivered a solid right hook. About to do more, he was surprised when a giant teddy bear appeared out of nowhere and sat on the robed man, grinning from ear to ear.

Michael stared, then pointed. "Bobby?" he asked Rachel.

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded.

"I thought he was Melvin's imaginary friend."

"Just because she imagined him, doesn't mean he isn't real," Rachel piped up, laughing to herself.

Michael shook his head. "Strangest rescue mission ever." 


	4. Chapter 4

Playing With Fire 4

After retrieving the key from the man in charge, Michael unlocked Rachel's collar. She rubbed her neck, still a little sore. "Much better...though it will be some time before I'm up to anything else. Take me to my kids, okay?" She rubbed her eyes. "...I need a shower, a nap, and some quality time with my husband once he wakes up..." she mumbled.

Loading her into the car, they drove back to Madeline's house, Bobby having turned himself invisible again. Back at the house, Rachel stepped out, and the kids practically bust down the door running to her. "MOMMY!" they shouted out together, clambering all over her.

Laughing she hugged them tight. "Hi, kids, I missed you too. Did you behave for Mrs. Weston?"

"Yes, Mommy!" Melvin pipped up. "We were very good!"

Raven smiled. "That's good...I'd love to keep hugging you, but I DESPERATELY need a shower. I've been locked up for three days, and I stink!"

"Pee yu!" little Teether piped up, waving a hand in front of his nose.

Laughing, Rachel went inside, the raven flying ahead of her towards where her husband was unconcious. "When Garfield wakes up, let him know where I am, okay?"

Inside, Madeline directed her to the shower. Michael followed the raven and saw it land on the unconcious Garfield for a time, then fly away rather clumsily. After a time, Garfield sat up, rubbing his head. "Ow...how long have I been out?"

"I'd say about three days," Michael said. "That's how long Rachel says she was locked up for. She said to tell you she was in the shower."

Garfield tilted his head and seemed to sniff the air. "I could probably use one, too." He stood up and began to walk straight towards the bathroom. "If you'll excuse me," he said, grinning.

Michael looked down at Melvin, who was rolling her eyes. "Newlyweds," she said, sighing.

"Wait, your folks only recently got together?" He looked down at Melvin and her brothers.

Melvin shrugged. "We were kinda instrumental in getting their relationship started seriously. They always liked each other, but never acted on it. Taking care of us gave them an excuse to pursue their relationship, sort of. That's why we came with on the honeymoon trip. It's not just celebrating Mommy and Daddy's wedding, but the day we all became a family."

Michael nodded. "I see." He proceeded to ignore the sounds coming from the bathroom which supported Melvin's assessment of her parents.

After some time, though, FIona quirked an eyebrow up. "They're quite energetic," she commented drily.

Madeline smiled knowingly at Michael and FIona. Melvin, seeing this, giggled.

Once Rachel and Garfield had cleaned up, rested, and reenergized, the Logan family said their goodbyes and went on their way, but promised to find a way to pay Michael and the others back for all they'd done for them.

Some weeks later, they discovered a way had been found.

Sam was ecstatic over the case of 50 year old scotch that showed up on his doorstep with a note of thanks from the Logan family. He put it away for careful consumption.

FIona found a large crate delivered to her which had quite a few things for her. First were registration papers and a letter, stating that Stone Tech Industries - a Weapons Development company - had selected her to be their Field Tester for their newest line of infantry weaponry. They would be sending her liscencing paperwork and test units for their newest weaponry in regular installments, and, in exchange for returning a full written report on functionality and usefullness, each model sent to her was hers to keep - fully liscensed and registered - as her payment. She had to pay for extra ammo beyond initial installment herself, though. The first weapon for testing was included in the shipment: an anti-infastructure cannon that weighed less than 50 lbs. and could fire a round over 1000 yards before detonation.

Michael recieved a small device that - when hooked to his computer - allowed him to access several databases untraceably in regard to investigating his being burned, though he could only read the data he found this way. The note included said that - since he had helped so many people - it was about time someone gave him a helping hand in return.

For Madeline, they sent two packages: the first contained a nano-tech treatment that wasn't readily available yet to strengthen and protect her lungs "from all harmful agents, since Rachel had noticed you had some trouble breathing while we were there, and the kids were worried about you." The second package contained a state of the art air purifier, "guaranteed to protect the air from any harmful agent, just in case Michael's work spills over in the biological."

The End 


End file.
